This chapter is dedicated to @starbuckshotline1

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Today was such a stressful day at work. The business has been increasing and there has been hardly anyone working with me. Most of the day I'm alone or have one co-worker with me.

"Hey, Sydney can I talk to you?" I knock on her door.

"Yeah, of course. What's up?" She motions for me to sit.

"I'm sorry, and I know it's not my place but it's getting very busy" My voice gets low. I can't afford to be fired but it can't go on like this.

"I know. I'm sorry, I have three people in for tomorrow and I'll take you off. Take the day tomorrow, please. I'll pay you your normal and send you the check in the mail. Don't worry about it. I've been trying to get dependable people on but no one's showing up. I did increase your pay for the last two weeks because of how hard you've been working" She gives me a sincere smile.

"Oh, no. I can come in tomorrow, it's not a problem. Thank you. So much" I nod.

"No, please take the day off. You need it. You look exhausted. Now go, watch a movie or hang out with your boyfriend" She smiles, turning back to her computer.

"Thank you, Sydney. Means a lot" I nod, feeling a lot better.

I quickly head home, feeding Bella and hopping in the shower.

Mason is practicing football with Brooks today. They want to keep it up so they are ahead when preseason starts. I respect the love and hard work Mason puts into football. He's going to go far.

He said he might stop by later so I prepare some extra food and leave it in the oven in case he does stop by and he's hungry.

Once I'm done eating I head into my room with Bella and sit in my chair, scrolling through Instagram.

Bella jumps into her matching chair and we hang out for a while.

I light a couple of candles and get into my bed, plugging my phone in and grabbing my book. I'm currently reading The Great Gatsby, a classic.

I just finished practicing with Brooks. I send a quick text to Leah and head home, planning on stopping by her place after I freshen up.

I throw a blue baseball t-shirt and some grey sweatpants. I style my hair so it's a little messy and dries nicely. I've been trying to make it a little more messy instead of perfect all the time.

I slip on a pair of basketball sneakers, grab my keys and some chapstick and head out.

Le still hasn't answered my text, she might be showering.

When I pull up to her complex I walk right into her apartment, using the spare key she gave me. I'm hit with the smell of broccoli and chicken.

I laugh as I open the oven to see a plate waiting for me. Typical Leah.

When I walk into her room Bella is fast asleep, curled up next to Leah.

Leah is sitting upright, a cropped white tank top on her and some grey joggers. She has a book in her hands and is sound asleep.

I chuckle, knowing work has been kicking her äss and she needs this more than ever.

I gently remove the book from her hands, saving the spot and placing it on the nightstand.

I smile, leaving her door open a crack and heading out to the living room to eat and watch some tv.

A couple of hours later, Leah strolls out of her room, rubbing her eyes and looking around.

"Mas, when did you get here?" She yawns, sitting next to me on the couch.

"Like two hours ago. How was your nap?" I smile, kissing the top of her head.

"It was good" She blushes, resting her head on my shoulder. "How was football?"

I sigh, "It was okay. I don't think I'll be able to keep up though. I'm hardly improving with anything. Definitely not NFL worthy"

"What are you talking about? Mason, there's like nothing for you to improve on. You got a full scholarship to UCLA for football. That's pretty dämn amazing. You're going to make it to the NFL, I know it" She looks at me, sincerity in her eyes.

"I don't know" I shake my head.

"I do" She smiles, kissing my cheek.

I blush, picking her up and sitting her on my thigh so I can hug her comfortably.

"Sydney is paying me double for the work I've done this month" She plays with the hem of my shirt.

"Really? That's great" I push her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, she also gave me the day off tomorrow" She pulls her hair free of the bun, tying it back into a ponytail.

"You don't say" I smirk, watching her actions, immediately getting excited.

"No" She laughs, patting my cheek and walking to the kitchen.

"Seriously? You put it up" I whine.

"Yes. I put it up for me, not for you. Don't be greedy" She smirks at me, placing some chips in a bowl and walking back over to the couch.

"You're such a tease" I shake my head.

"Sorry, baby" She plops a chip in her mouth, picking my arm up and placing it around her shoulders.

"What movie are we watching?" She smiles, flicking through Netflix.

"You pick tonight," I yawn, stretching my arms out.

She flicks to a movie called The Roommate and presses play.

"I'm going to make some coffee. Would you like a cup?" I stand up.

"Ooh, yes, please. That sounds great. Thank you" Her eyes light up.

"Okay" I kiss the top of her head and head into the kitchen, putting the coffee on.

I brew the coffee and put cream and sugar in mine, and almond milk in Leahs. I also grab a blanket from the basket for us to cuddle up under.

"Thank you" She grabs the cup, cradling it in her hands.

I lay the blanket over us, holding the mug of coffee on my lap.

A few minutes into the movie Leah's phone rings, an unknown number on the screen.

"Hello?" She answers as I pause the movie.

There is mumbling heard on the other line as Leah's face pales, her cup of coffee falling out of her hands and all over her lap.

Chills run across my body, scared.

"O-Okay" She stutters out, her hands shaking, not even flinching from the scorching hot coffee.

I quickly take the blanket off her and grab the coffee, running it into the laundry room.

"It-it was the j-jail" Leah whispers.

"What did they say?" I ask, kneeling in front of her.

"They want to see me. Mason, I don't know if I can do it" She sucks in a breath and I pull her into a tight hug, trying to suppress the anxiety attack.

"It's okay Le. You're okay. It'll all work out."

'Your mom is asking for you'

I try and take deep breaths, all the torturous memories flooding back.

"M-mason" I breathe, causing him to look at me, worried.

"I-I can't do it. Not right now." I clutch onto his arm, his hand drawing circles on my back.

"And that is a hundred percent okay" He hands me a glass of ice water, telling me to drink.

"I-I know I said I needed closure but I don't know. They had them moved to rehab, then from there, after a year they'll go back to jail." Mason's face drops, his jaw clenching.

"What? That's ridiculous. They abused you for years and your father even threatened to rape you. They should be in jail now. They should rot in jail for the rest of their lives" Mason curses to himself.

"It's my fault" I whisper, guilt consuming me.

"It is not, baby. None of it is your fault. You did not cause that accident, okay? Your parents chose to drink. They chose to take their pain out on you. They needed someone to blame other than themselves. It's disgusting" He pulls my hair out of the tight ponytail, running his hands through it.

"I'm so tired of this deadly cycle, Mas. I want it to be over. I need it to be over" Tears cascade down my face.

"I know baby, I know" He sits on the couch, pulling me to straddle his waist, his arms wrapped around my back.

"I know the only way is to see them. I'll go tomorrow" I sniffle.

"Give me a time and I'll be ready, okay?" He pulls away, wiping the tears off my face.

I nod, swallowing.

"We'll be out of here in no time. We'll have a lake-house and own a boat. We'll have a beach house right on the water for summer and vacation all over the world. There will be little copies of us running around. We'll be living the life. Okay?" He pushes my hair out of my face.

"Okay," I nod, biting my lip and smiling.

I run my hand through his hair before pressing my lips to his.

"I love you" I whisper when I pull away, pulling his shirt over his head.

"Le, what are you-" He starts before I interrupt him. "I need a distraction"

"Can we go early tomorrow? Then go to the beach" I push Mason's hair off his forehead, looking up at him.

"Of course Le. Whatever you want" He kisses my forehead, his hand rubbing my back.

Mason's phone rings and all I hear is rushed talking. I can hardly make it out except for Brooks on the line.

"Okay, man. Easy. I'll be right there" He stands up, sliding his clothes on.

"Mason?" I question, pulling a hoodie over my head.

"I'm so sorry Le but I need to go. I'll text you, I promise" He kisses my forehead and my lips and rushes out of my apartment.

What just happened?

I got a text from Mason saying he'll explain later but no information on what happened.

Time drags on until it's almost two in the morning. I need to sleep but I can't without knowing what is going on.

'Hi baby, I'm sorry. Brooks' mom is sick. I'm at the hospital with him and my sister. I wanted to tell you sooner but he didn't want anyone knowing. I'll explain more tomorrow. I hope you're sleeping now. If not just send me a quick text back. I'll pick you up around ten tomorrow morning. Goodnight, I love you'

I read the text over multiple times, my shock increasing with each read through.

'I was waiting up for you. I'll be keeping her in my prayers. I'm sending my regards. I'm so sorry. Goodnight, I love you'

I place my phone down and stare at the ceiling for a while, not knowing how to react. Brooks has been like a brother to me. He's one of my best friends. I've never met his mother but I know she's all he has left.

After about an hour I finally drift to sleep, before being woken up by a night terror, not even two hours later.

'You're a fücking disappointment' My mother seethes, the stench of alcohol filling my nostrils.

'You're the reason Kaitlyn is dead' My father slaps me before sending a crippling kick to my leg.

'You bring nothing to this family. We would be better without you' He screams, the sound of glass crashing on the floor.

He picks up a piece of it, holding it up to my face. He slowly makes a small cut, deep enough to leave blood trickling down my face.

'Now leave and don't come back until I fücking say to' He yells.

I don't waste any time to crash through the front door, running to Macy's house'

I am woken up by Bella licking the tears off my face. I take a while to calm down, telling myself it was the past, that I'm okay now.

My thumb hovers over Mason's contact for a few minutes before I decide against it. He has more important things to deal with.

I sit in bed for another hour, trying to get my breathing under control while petting Bella.

Once I feel a little better I change out of my gross clothes and lay down on the other side of the bed, staring at the ceiling until I see the sun rising.

I immediately get out of bed, rushing to make some coffee to wake me up.

"Hey, Le. Are you working today?" Cody asks, dressed in all black, drinking some coffee at the island.

"No, Sydney gave me the day off" I yawned.

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" He frowns.

"No, I didn't. My night terror was bad. Probably because of today" I sigh, sitting next to him.

"Mason's taking you, right?" He looks over at me. "You can't go alone"

"No, I know. He's picking me up at ten. So I got four hours to kill" I laugh.

"I need to get to work but please text me if you need anything. Okay?" He kisses my cheek, grabbing his backpack.

"Okay, love you" I call as he closes the door. "Love you too, kid"

I sigh, resuming the movie Mason and I tried to watch yesterday. Might as well watch something while I wait.

Around an hour later the movie is over and I find myself drifting to sleep, flashes of my parents abusing me waking me up.

The door opens, startling me and a disheveled Mason stands there, red-eyed and confused.

"Mas" I stand up immediately and embrace him. "How is she?"

I pull away, looking at him. He closes his eyes and shakes his head. My heart breaks and Mason loses his balance.

"Come to the couch" I help him over, grabbing a glass of water for him.

"What happened? Talk to me" I grab his face, resting my hand on his cheek while kneeling in front of him.

"Brooks mom is all he has left. Her cancer is back and she's not doing well" He rubs his eyes, elbows on his knees, and head down.

"Oh my gosh," I gasp. "What kind?"

"Gastric. She beat it a couple of years ago by some miracle. It's back now and more aggressive" He takes my hand in his.

"I-i'm so sorry" I stutter, completely speechless. "Come here" I sit on the couch, pulling him into my chest.

"I'm worried about him, Le" He rests his hand on my thigh.

"I know, I know. I am too" I rub his arm, wanting to be here for him.

We sit like this for close to a half-hour, silence surrounding us.

"Thank you" He looks up at me.

"You have nothing to thank me for" I kiss his forehead, moving his hair out of the way.

"I know, I look like a mess. I'm sorry. I came right here" He laughs, pulling away to take a sip of his water.

"You're cute" I laugh.

"I'll go home, get changed, and then come back to pick you up?" He stands up.

"Oh, no Mason. We can go on a different day. There's much more important stuff to concentrate on" I shake my head.

"Babe, come on. I know you. I know that you were up last night because you got a night terror. I know that if we don't go today, we may never go. You need closure, and I'll be with you" He draws circles on my hips, causing me to squirm.

"How'd you know?" I immediately shut down, feeling embarrassed.

"You're my girlfriend Leah. I know more than you think. You look exhausted and beat up. We'll go and see your parents for a little. I'll throw a couple of punches and then we can go home and nap. Okay?" He picks my head up.

A small smile breaks out on my face, "Okay"

"Come on, I'll pick an outfit for you" He takes my hand and leads me to my room.

"No sweatpants please" I remind Mason, earning an 'I know' in reply.

He picks out a tight red tank top and some pale blue jean shorts. I pack a bag with some necessities and throw on a pair of sandals.

"I'll come right back, I promise" Mason kisses me and heads home to clean himself up.

I quickly do some natural makeup and fix my hair so it doesn't look awful anymore.

Not too long after I'm done getting ready I hear a knock at the door and leave to go and see my parents.

When we pull up to the rehabilitation center I almost vomit.

"We can wait as long as you need, baby" Mason kisses my hand.

I take a deep breath before getting out of the car and reaching for Mason's hand, clutching it out of nervousness.

"Hi, may I please have a name?" The lady asks.

"Um, Williams. There's a Heather and a Fred" I stutter out.

"Okay. Just sign in please and I will take you to them." She smiles, pointing to the book.

I pick up the pen and start to write my name before Mason stops me, writing our names in the book.

He winks at me, lingering on my name. I look closer and notice he put his last name in as mine.

I laugh, grateful that he's able to make me smile when I'm so nervous.

"Right this way" The lady hands us our name tags and we start following her.

"Heather, Fred. You have visitors" She stops at an entryway to a room.

I freeze, my heart rate escalating.

"Just breathe, okay? I won't let them touch you" Mason whispers in my ear.

I nod before walking into the room, Mason right behind me.

"Leah? You came" My mother smiles, her eyes not glossy for the first time in ten years.

She stands up, rushing towards me causing Mason to step in front of me as I flinch.

"I-I'm so sorry" Her voice cracks.

"Leah, we were drunk. You have to know we didn't mean it" My father intervenes.

"You two broke me. You tore me to pieces, both physically and mentally, and constantly reminded me that I killed my sister. You both are pieces of shįt. I will never forgive you for what you put me through" The words tumble out of my mouth before I can even think twice about them.

Mason places his hand on the small of my back in support. My mother breaks down and my father stares at me, jaw clenched.

"That is no way to talk to your parents" He growls.

"You are not my parent" I yell.

"Leah Williams, you will lose that attitude right now or so help me God-" He stands up.

"Or what? You'll hit me? You'll try to kill me. Go ahead. I dare you" I spit at him. Mason wraps his arms around me, stopping me from advancing towards him.

"Don't tempt him, Leah, calm down" He whispers in my ear.

"Fred, shut up. Please" My mother whispers.

"Leah, I know what I've done. What we've done is unforgivable. But I truly love you. I love you more than you know and I was in pain. I was in so much pain I didn't know how to act or cope..."

Hello, my angles. I'm so sorry for the unannounced absence. School has been kicking my arse! I've been super stressed with applying to colleges and just completing my school work on time, through hybrid learning! This chapter was a rollercoaster of emotions! I hope you all are doing well and thank you for sticking with me! Don't forget to vote, comment, and share!

Question: Did you guys watch Julie and the Phantoms?

Answer: I have and I'm ashamed to admit that I'm a simp for both Luke Patterson AND Charlie Gillespie. Kenny Ortega has made me fall for another skinny white boy with brown hair... All my friends are making fun of me for watching the show so many times. Currently on my sixth time through and going strong!

20 votes and 75 comments?

Word count: 3408

~Leah